


Day 16: Shot

by MadhouseVagabond



Series: 30 Day Whump Challenge 2018 [16]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: 30 Day Whump Challenge, Angst, Blood, Crying, Gen, M/M, Pain, battle buddies, hinted Jeremwood but not official, not canon, ryan hears everything, shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 03:39:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15765849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadhouseVagabond/pseuds/MadhouseVagabond
Summary: The Battle Buddies are in trouble, and Ryan is helpless to do anything about it.





	Day 16: Shot

Jeremy waited impatiently in line, sighing when he noticed the woman at the front had a million and a half items. He groaned internally and checked his watch. Ryan was supposed to hang out with him today, the two Battle Buddies taking some time off from Rooster Corps work to relax after a long strenuous assignment. Jeremy missed normal life, going out grocery shopping, sleeping in on Saturdays, having video game nights with friends. He was able to do the last every now and then but it was more and more with just Ryan instead of his other friends. He blushed slightly at the thought, smiling at the memories of Ryan giggling and smiling or making over exaggerated exclamations when he was losing. The two had grown close in the years they'd worked together, Jeremy being nervous at first that the older man wouldn't like him as a partner. Now he couldn't imagine life without the tall, nerdy dork. He pulled his phone out and called his partner, more of a distraction than anything.

 

"Haywood speaking," Ryan's voice responded after two rings.

 

"Ryan, you know it's me you don't have to say it's you every time you doof," Jeremy chuckled, already feeling his anger and frustration subsiding.

 

"What if I was being held hostage or I was kidnapped and the perps wanted you to think it was me?" Ryan asked.

 

"They they could keep you," Jeremy joked.

 

"Rude. What's up Lil' J? Still on for tonight?" Ryan laughed.

 

"Yeah I'm just stuck at the HEB behind slow ass humans who don't know limitations. I may be slightly late if you wanna just walk in and make yourself comfortable. I stocked the fridge earlier with a Diet Coke or two," Jermey rolled his eyes, his internal groan evident in his voice causing Ryan to chuckle.

 

"Holy shit I love you! I could come keep you company if you like?" Ryan suggested. Jeremy blushed knowing that the gent didn't mean what he said in the literal sense but he couldn't help feeling the butterflies in his stomach.

 

"Nah it's okay, wouldn't want to subject you to this torture," he said.

 

Something caught his eyes and he turned slightly to get a better look. There were a few men walking towards the registers wearing dark hoodies and sunglasses. They looked tall and strong, and glanced around nervously. Jeremy was instantly on alert, reaching for his handgun before remembering that he'd left it at home.

 

"Fuck," he muttered.

 

"Jeremy? Is everything alright buddy?"

 

Ryan's voice startled him back to the present and he slowly slipped out of line and made his way down a couple aisles, keeping the registers in view but staying out of sight in case something went down.

 

"Uh...maybe? Just some shady looking dudes. It may just be my nerves on end but I'm not going to take the chance," he said quietly as he crouched low.

 

"Jeremy stay hidden and whatever you do, DO NOT engage! I'll be there in a few minutes. Get somewhere safe and call the cops!" Ryan said urgently.

 

"We're off duty Haywood, you can't pull rank on me here. If I can help then I'm going to help," Jeremy said.

 

"Fine. Just...stay safe okay? Keep talking to me so I know you're safe," Ryan sounded desperate.

 

"Fine but I won't be able to call the cops," Jeremy pointed out.

 

"See if you can find the manager's office. There should be a phone there," Ryan suggested.

 

Jeremy nodded and slowly made his way to the back of the building as the men reached the front of the counter. He heard screaming and shouting and knew his instincts had been correct. Ryan asked if he was alright and he confirmed, finding the office/breakroom in the back. He looked around for a phone and finally found one, sticking his phone in his pocket with Ryan on speakerphone as he dialed 9-1-1. He reported what was happening to the emergency operator and she said there was a unit nearby and that others were en route. He was instructed to stay in a safe location and to stay away from the criminals. He hung up and looked around.

 

"Fuck that," he said and reached for the doorknob.

 

Just as he opened the door he came face to face with one of the perps robbing the store. Both men were startled for a moment and before Jeremy could act there was a gun in his face.

 

"No sudden movements and you won't die. Get your ass to the front with the rest and keep quiet!" the man ordered.

 

Jeremy raised his hands to show he wasn't a threat and nodded slowly, allowing the man to shove him forward towards the front of the store. His mind was racing, he needed to disarm this man before he got to the front where all his buddies were. He knew he could take this guy down, hell he was a special agent of Rooster Corps' Hunters devision for crying out loud. He was just trying to think of a plan when a sound caused his heart to sink.

 

"Jeremy I'm almost there are you still okay? Did you call the cops yet?"

 

Fuck.

 

Before the criminal could react to the phone in his pocket, Jeremy spun around and elbowed him in the face, dropping low to the floor and kicking out at the man's knees to hyper extend them, or break them he wasn't picky. The man cried out as he tumbled to the floor and Jeremy was on him in an instant, wrestling for the gun in the man's hand. The two grappled each other and rolled, both fighting desperately for control of the weapon. Suddenly there was a loud report as the gun went off accidentally, both men freezing and looking at each other. Jeremy looked down to see blood seeping through his shirt around his stomach and he suddenly found it quite hard to breath. He was shoved off of the man who stumbled away, the shouts of his companions and the screams of the hostages ringing loudly in Jeremy's ears as he curled in on himself, pain taking over.

 

He'd been shot before, yeah, but he'd always been wearing body armor or had medics not too far off to help. He knew the wound was bad, probably fatal, and tears flooded his eyes, both from the pain and from the thought that he was about to leave his best friend behind.

 

"JEREMY!"

 

Ryan's desperate, hysterical scream brought him back to the now and he shakily pulled his phone out from his pocket, managing to click speakerphone off and hold it to his ear, his other hand pressed tightly to the wound, hoping to stop the blood flow.

 

"Ryan..." he gasped out, voice choked up as he held back a sob.

 

"Jeremy what happened? I heard a gunshot!"

 

"It was an accident Ryan. Went for the gun, got shot," Jeremy cried as pain racked his body.

 

"Don't you dare die on me Dooley! I'm almost there! Stay with me okay Buddy?" Ryan cried.

 

"I'll try. I don't know how long I'll last. It was a point blank shot to the abdomen Ryan. I think...I think this might be it," Jeremy felt the tears running down his face.

 

"No! Don't give up Jer! Keep talking to me, I'm flagging down a policeman now to get help. I'm almost to you. Tell me about your day!" Ryan sounded very panicked, Jeremy never hearing him this way.

 

"Ryan really, that's what you're going with? How my day was?" he chuckled weakly.

 

"Just tell me," Ryan said and Jeremy could vaguely hear him talking to a policeman.

 

"Well, I had a somewhat decent amount of sleep, fed my cat, played some games, took a nap, ate my meals, and came here to get shot," Jeremy reported.

 

"What did you eat smartass? Was it good?" Ryan chuckled sadly.

 

"Some cereal, toast, bacon and orange juice I believe. It was pretty great Ryan I'm not gonna lie," Jeremy smiled.

 

"You had me at bacon Jer!" Ryan laughed. Jeremy laughed but groaned as the action caused pain to shoot through his body.

 

"I don't want to die Ry," he choked out.

 

"You're not going to Jeremy. Not on my watch. Battle Buddies stick together," Ryan sobbed.

 

"Promise me, if I do die, that you won't shut down Ryan. Please. I know what happened to Ray shut you down for years, I don't want that to happen again. Please Ryan, you're too good to shut down," Jeremy begged.

 

"I'm not going to cause you're not dying!" Ryan said firmly.

 

"Just promise me. Please Ry," Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth against the pain.

 

"Okay, I promise Jer," Ryan said after a moment.

 

"Thank you buddy," Jeremy smiled.

 

He heard police sirens and the scream of an ambulance, the squeal of tires and a car door slamming shut. His eyes slowly closed and he felt himself grow weaker as strong hands gripped him and a deep voice said his name over and over. He smiled and leaned towards the voice, knowing that even if he died, he'd at least leave this world in the arms of someone he loved.

 

"Stay with me Jer! Help is here. You'll be fine, I promise," Ryan's voice was saying.

 

"I'm fine now that you're here," he managed to say, opening his eyes weakly and smiling at the sight of Ryan.

 

"Battle Buddies..." Ryan smiled sadly, tears streaming down his cheeks.

 

"Battle Buddies, forever," Jeremy finished their special saying they'd come up with together.

**Author's Note:**

> This story isn’t canon to my other Battle Buddies AU series but is separate for this challenge so the events here do not take place in that series. Now let’s all cry together.


End file.
